GRR Reviews Hunted by Aria Adams

NOTE: Spanking and D/s play, violence, quasi-sensual situations

In a dystopic future, the Brotherhood had taken over the cities, and machines produce everything. Ember was one of the roller cheerleader girls of the city's sports team. She thought she was honored to star in "The Chase" in a reality show that lasts an hour. What they didn't tell her was she'd be stripped naked and be hunted by evil men with hunting dogs. But she survived... so far. She even hurt a few with traps. But it's been two days since she had any food or water... Until she stumbled into Hadley... /// Hadley may be the last rancher left alive, but the Brotherhood need some real beef and other real food, so he'd been left to exist in isolation in exchange for provisions. When she came out of the forest, naked, wounded, but determined to fight to the end, he intervened. But when she turned defiant against logical safety rules, he had to discipline her with spankings, for she can't go back to the city... And eventually, Hadley will claim her, and together, they may be able to take down the Brotherhood...

Hmmm... The problem with this future is it makes no sense. it's obviously inspired somewhat by the Hunger Games, where the leaders hold themselves above the law and manipulate everything. But how does such a society really function? Where do the raw materials to feed the machines come from? How about energy? And if you take away the dystopia, what you're left with is a guy grooming an innocent girl to be his sub, and as expected, she will fall for him. Is this dark romance? Not quite. Is it scifi? Sorta. Is it good? Hmmm... Okay, I guess. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Dangerous & Moving by Isadora Brown

In an alternate future not too far from our own... abortion was outlawed and woman caught doing so can be charged with murder, gay marriage is illegal, and those in power are more interested in covering up the truth than to preserve it. Jensen didn't care. He keeps his car pristine, for he is a transporter. He was there for a job... When a young girl climbed into his backseat, and begs him to take her to a hospital... She's bleeding badly. He took her to a hospital, only interested in her safety, when everything changed. Her name is Clara, and she is the president's daughter, who performed an abortion on herself, and he's in trouble because he will be charged with accessory to murder. But he managed to grab her and ran. And they embark on a plan to escape to California, which had seceded from the union. There are many perils on the way, for the FBI is on their trail, and no one can be trusted...

Frankly, the Las Vegas stint turned out to be an extended TSTL moment. It was... dumb, beyond dumb. It's mostly adventure and forced proximity. FBI agents are fumbling idiots doing keystone cops. And the solution to all that was way too easy. I wanted to give this a higher score, but it's 3/5

Category: Contemporary / Science Fiction

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Beyond Shame (Beyond series) by Kit Rocha

Beyond Shame is an interesting mix of post-apocalyptic dystopia and erotic romance that sets up a very interesting world that's an odd mix of scifi, MC, and different worlds tropes about self-discovery and redemption, and it was certainly interesting.

Noelle Cunningham wanted to rebel against her prim and proper role as councilman's daughter in a closed post-apoc dystopic society, Eden, that turned against immorality so far, pre-marital sex is illegal. After a conviction for fornification, she was dumped out the gates of Eden, with just the clothes on her back, into the gang-controlled sectors that she only read about. Stalked by low-life, she was barely rescued in time by an unlikely savior... // Jasper "Jas" McCray is a bootlegger and cage fighter for Sector 4's boss Dallas O'Kane. He fought his way up from nothing to be the right-hand man of the boss, and sworn into the gang... all for one and one for all. He did not expect to deal with a sheltered innocent city princess who literally fell into his arms. And Noelle is so snow-white innocent... she's still a virgin, and intensely curious about sex. And soon she and Jas will explore every one of her fantasies, with a little help from O'Kane's band of misfits, including Lex, O'Kane's squeeze, to nurture, and accept her own power of sexuality... and embrace it...

The world-building was virtually seamless. You can read the subtext AND the context simply through the actions of the characters, no info-dump needed. There *are* some info-dumps, but not a lot, and the sex scenes are frequent, that this could be termed erotic romance, but the point is outside of Eden, anything goes, and sex is nothing to be ashamed of, except that society tells you. I don't quite get the reason for such extreme morality, but that's why it's a dystopia. I look forward to reading the future volumes. So why 4/5?  It's just a little shy of perfection, as it's a bit too obvious bodyguard story.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: In a dystopic future, a councilman's daughter was dumped out the gates for trying to have sex, and was rescued by gang's top fighter...

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.